Approaches to integrating mental health into Moroccan schools and universities: an analysis of public policies and international experiences

Abstract

Public policies in Morocco have shown increasing interest in mental health issues; however, the integration of mental health into the education system remains fragmented and falls short of the institutional coherence promoted by contemporary international approaches. This article examines the limited and insufficiently effective integration of mental health policies within Moroccan schools and universities, despite the multiplicity of initiatives and programmes implemented. It analyses the place of mental health in educational policy through a critical review of legal and regulatory frameworks and national programmes, and compares them with selected international models.

The study adopts a qualitative public-policy analysis approach based on official and institutional documents, alongside a comparative analysis of Finland, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, considered examples of the institutional integration of mental health into education. The findings show that Moroccan policies tend to be sectoral and reactive, with weak institutional coordination and no integrated preventive framework, limiting their effectiveness in educational institutions. By contrast, the international experiences reviewed demonstrate approaches that structurally embed mental health in educational policy through comprehensive, preventive strategies, intersectoral coordination and the active involvement of education stakeholders.

The article concludes that improving the integration of mental health into Moroccan education requires a shift from fragmented programmes to an integrated public-policy framework, and from a predominantly curative approach to a preventive one. Mental health should become a structural component of educational policy rather than an ancillary service.

Keywords: public policy; mental health; educational institutions in Morocco; policy integration; international approaches.

Received Date: August 17, 2026

Accepted Date: September 09, 2026

Published Date: October 01, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/1015